Wrench.



T. E. MILLER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 31.1918.

1,29s,997.- Patented Apr. 1,1919.

Z Z? I v v; V Z i W 4- g 0 WITNESSES uvmvrm 77wmasi MILLER,

v ATTORNEYS THOMAS ELGANAI-I MILLER, or TACOMA, w sHINGToN.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Apr. 1, 1919.

' Application filed July 31, 1918. Serial No. 247,665.

to bring about proper engagement of such nuts.

In its more specific aspect, my invention resides -in the featuresfofconstruction, ar-' rangement andoperatlonto be now descrlbed withrespect to the -accompanying' drawings forming a part of thisspecification, and in whichz' p I Figure 1 is a perspective Viewillustrating my complete wrench; L I p Fig. 2 is a've'rtical.longltudlnal sectlon taken therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on line 3'3of Fig.2; and

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the thumb piece and its ratchetengaglng p Referring now to these figures, the elongated handle 10 of myimproved wrenchhas a lengthwise slot 11, which results in-the U- shapeof'its walls, as seen in the cross sec-f tion Fig. 3, this handlebeing'provlded at one end with an angular integral jaw 12, and with aslotted angular extension 13 at right angles to the jaw 10, the slot ofwh ch appears at 14 and slidably receives the 1n-- n'er toothedextension 15 of a movable aw 16, whose range is limited to the length ofthe extension 13, and by certain other parts, as presently described. p

In the angle between the handle 10' and its extension 13, is journaled atoothed wheel 17 the inner portion of the extension 15 of the movablejaw 16 being toothed at 18' and engaged by the said toothed wheel, thelat terin turn engaged by the toothed forward portion'19 of an adjustingslide 20, movable in the slot 11 of the handle and controlled in suchmovement through'thecoiiperation of movable ratchet pieces. 21 and 22,with a stationary ratchet piece 23,- the latter of which is set into andis rigid with the handle' 10 at a point intermediate its ends.

The slide 20 is slotted intermediate its ends to receive the reducedinner portion 24 of a thumb piece 25, which latter projects beyond theside walls of the handle so as to be readily engaged by the thumb of theuser while the handle 10 is grasped. This thumb piece 25 is movable on apivot 26 carried by the slide 20, and has at its forward end anextension which forms the ratchet member 22-, as most plainly seen in Fig. 4. This ratchet member is thus movable vertically into'and out ofengagement with the ratchet piece 23, by virtueof. the tilting of thethumb piece 25 upon its: pivot 26'.

The thumb piece 25 is also providedwith a forward cut away portion abovethe toothed extension 22, and the said cut away portion has aroundedinner end 27 so as to receive the ratchet member 21, the rounded end 28of which movably interfits the inner end 27 ofthe cutaway portion justpreviously described, to permitthe ratchet member 21 to yield verticallywith respect to the thumb piece, and to a limited extent beyond which itis movable with the thumb piece when the latter is tilted on pivot 26.

The slide 20 has a spring 29 secured thereto whichbears upon the ratchetmember 21,

and thus through the latter normally holds the forward end of the thumbpiece 29 downwardly into engagement with the ratchet piece 23.

By a careful consideration of Fig. 2, it will be noted that the teeth ofthe ratchet member 21, are set to allow them a half a tooths differencebetween the same and the.

teeth of the ratchet member'22 in the engagem'ent of ratchet piece 23,so as to thus double the number of positions at which the movable jaw 16will be looked through the adjusting devices. It is obvious, however,when thumb piece 25 is rocked on its pivot 26, the ratchet member 21 aswell as the ratchet member 22 will be elevated against the tension ofspring 29 out of engagement with the ratchet piece 23, so that the slide20 will be free for movement forwardly or rearwardly to respectivelyincrease or de crease the space between the jaws 12 and 16.

Thus in operation in order to effect adjustment of the movable jaw 16,so as to snugly clamp a nut between the same and I the stationary jaw12, it is simply necessary for the operator to place his thumb upon thethumb piece 25 and rock the same on its pivot 26, forcing its rear endrearwardly so as to lift the members 21 and 22 out of engagement withthe ratchet piece 23. The operator then shifts the slide 20 forwardly orrearwardly, as the case may be, movement to this slide beingcommunicated to the movable jaw 16 through the toothed extensions 18 and19 and the toothed wheel 17. When the nut has been snugly engaged theoperator simply releases pressure upon the thumb piece 25 and the spring29 forces the forward end thereof downwardly and thrusts one or theother of the ratchet members 21 or 22 into engagement with the ratchetpiece 23, dependent upon-which of said ratchet members is in positionfor proper engagement with the teeth of the ratchet iece. 7

It is t us obvious that my invention provides' a simple inexpensivewrench which will be highly useful as'a quick acting, quick adjustingnut turning implement, and which will be lasting and durable in use.

I claim 1. A wrench comprising a handle having.

a stationary jaw and aslotted extension at right angles to said jaw, amovable jaw having an extension shiftable in the slot of the handleextension and provided with teeth along its said extension, a toothedwheel journaled in the angle between the handle and its said extensionand engaging .the toothed extension of the movable jaw,

an adjusting slide movable longitudinally of the handle and having atoothed portion also engaging the said toothed wheel, a ratchet piececarried by the handle, and a tiltable spring controlled ratchet membercarried by the said slide and engaging the said piece and having aprojection extending laterally beyond one side of the handle and forminga finger piece, as described.

2. A quick acting and adjusting wrench comprising a longitudinallyslotted handle having a ratchet jaw at one end and a rigid extensionprojecting therefrom adjacent and at right angles to the said rigid jaw,a movable jaw shiftable on said extension and having a toothed innerportion, a toothed wheel journaled in the angle between the handle andits said extension and engaging the toothed portion of the movable jaw,a slide shiftable in the slot of the handle and having a toothed portionalso in engagement with the said toothed wheel, and means for adjustablysecuring the said slide including a movable spring controlled thumbpiece mounted in connection with the slide and projecting laterallybeyond described.

3. A quick acting and adjusting wrench comprising a longitudinallyslotted handle having a ratchet j awat oneend and a' rigid the, handle,as

extension projecting therefrom adjacent and with the said toothed wheel,means for adjustably securingthe said slideincluding a rigid ratchetpiece carried bythe handle, a ratchet member engaging said ratchetpiece, a thumb piece pivoted in connection with the slide and supportingthe said ratchet member, and a spring carried by the slide and normallyholding the ratchet member in engagement with the said ratchet piece.

'4. A quick acting and adjusting wrench comprising alongitudinallyslotted handle having a rigid jaw, a movable jaw shiftable in a portionof the handle toward and away from the rigid jaw, means for adjustingthe movable jaw, including a slide operatively connected to the movablejaw and shiftable in the slot of the handle, a thumb piece pivoted tothe said slide and projecting-beyondzthe handle, a ratchetpiece' carriedby the handle, a ratchet member carried by the thumb piece,,and engagingthe said ratchet piece, and a spring carried by the-slide and normallyholding the said ratchet member in engagement with the ratchet piece.

5. A quick acting and adjusting wrench in the slot of the handle, athumb piece pivoted to thesaid slide and having a portion projectingbeyond the handle, and an extension at one side of its pivot providedwith ratchet teeth and with a cut away portion, a ratchet member movablein said cut away portion and also having ratchet teeth, and a rigidratchet piece carried by the handle and with which ratchet teeth of saidthumb piece and said ratchet member are engageable.

6. A quick acting and adjusting wrench comprising a longitudinallyslotted handle having a rigid jaw, a movable jaw shiftable in a portionof the handle toward and away from the rigid jaw, means for adjustingthe movable jaw, including a slide operatively connected to the movablejaw and shiftable member movable in said cut away portion ratchet teethof said thumb piece and said ratchet member are engageable, the teeth ofsaid ratchet member being spaced apart 10 from the teeth of the thumbpiece a distance equal to a tooth and a half of the ratchet and alsohaving ratchet teeth, a rigid ratchet pleoe. piece carried by the handleand with which THOMAS ELCANAH MILLER.

oted to the said slide and having a portion projecting beyond thehandle, an extension at one side of its pivot provided With ratchetteeth and With a cut away portion, a ratchet Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofPatents, Washington, D. 0.

